


Voltron Technologies

by Ninke_A



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Artificial Voice, Competent!Lance, Families of Choice, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Genius!Hunk, Genius!Pidge, Hand waving science, Keith and Allura are Cousins, Lance (Voltron) Cannot Speak, M/M, No Space, Slow Burn, Space Mice are Trained Mice, Tags May Change, Voltron is a Technical Company
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-04
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-09-28 01:02:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 18,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10060664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninke_A/pseuds/Ninke_A
Summary: Altea Industries and Galra Corporation have been in a war for control of the world's technology. A war that Galra Corp is winning. Then the world learns about a newcomer, Voltron Technologies. Now Galra Corp will do whatever they have to to either integrate or shut down Voltron, while Altea Industries needs Voltron to keep their company afloat.Voltron, however, wants nothing to do with Galra Corp. So they lay low, hiding well and staying out of the public eye. Until one day, a firefighter named Shiro, is injured...





	1. A Chance

**Author's Note:**

> I am excited for this one! I told some of my amazing readers that I had a new idea. Well... this is it. I'm taking all the normal fanfic ideas and tossing them. I... hope you like it? Please let me know what you think. (also...anyone know where I can get a co-author? I need one)
> 
> I'm not super mechanical, so there will be a lot of hand waving science. There will also be a lot of Competent Lance, because I need more of that. 
> 
> Characters are aged up in this story. Pidge is 20, Hunk and Keith are 21, Lance is 23, Shiro and Allura are 29.

Once, Altea Industries was the leading force in technology. They worked almost exclusively in the medical field, making better monitoring systems, prosthetics and scanning machines than any other company in the world. On the opposite end was the Galra Corporation. They led the field in more common machines, like computers, flight simulators and phones. As time passed, Galra Corp. started moving into all fields of technology, either integrating, or intimidating smaller companies into closing. Soon Galra Corp. was the name known for anything one might need.

So it was that Allura, the new CEO of Altea, found themselves on the brink of closing the doors. Allura, who had a great deal of passion for the company, which her father had built, insisted that all they needed to survive was some new talent. Slowly, they managed to find some, those few that hadn't been threatened or bought out, but it wasn't enough. They needed something that the Galra couldn't do.

Then, a young firefighter was injured in the line of duty, he had saved three children from their burning home, and had suffered horrible burns to his arm. As a result, the arm had to be removed. Allura, in an attempt to help her company's image, offered to make the man a prosthetic, as a reward for his bravery. Immediately, Zarkon, the CEO of Galra Corp. matched her offer. When he recovered, he shocked everyone when he announced that he already had someone to help with a new arm. Voltron Technologies.

Allura immediately instructed her most trusted staff members, her Chief of Staff and her right hand man, to find out anything they could about this strange new player. If they could join with this new company, then they might have a chance against the Galra.

 

*********

 

Allura sat at her father's desk, staring at her uncle who was also her Chief of Staff. Coran had always been her father's go-to man, even when they were just kids, and she could count on him, despite the outrageous clothes and silly mustache. “Do we know anything yet?”

Coran fiddled with his mustache. “Keith is still running down a few leads, but the most we know right now is that, this... Voltron is very secretive. We've learned that there are three people running the company, but I wasn't able to learn any names. They're surprisingly well funded, and apparently, test all their inventions themselves. I spoke to a couple of the firefighters that worked with the injured man....” He flipped a couple of pages on his clipboard. “Shiro, was his name. Apparently, he had mentioned this company before, when they asked about a new phone that he had.”

“Prosthetics... phones... what else do these people do?” Allura wondered as the door was flung open and Keith shot into the room. He was younger than Allura, and had been a late addition to their odd family. Coran had taken him in when his father had died, and treated Keith like his own son. Family was important to all of them, that was why Allura could trust them.

“You need to see this.” He waved a tablet a couple of times, before passing it to Allura. “One of my contacts sent it to me.” Once Coran had moved close enough to see, Allura started the video.

 

_It looked to be a large warehouse, with a man standing in the middle of a wide open space. He had on odd looking clothes, a black suit with white armor covering most of it, parts of the white were colored blue. As was the helmet that covered his head. There was a dark visor on the helmet that hid everything but his mouth and chin. He had his right arm held slightly away from his body, what looked like an shield made of electricity, covering his side from his head to his knees._

“ _Looking good there, Blue!” A deep voice came from off screen. “You got it powered up really quickly that time!”_

_The helmet made it impossible to see much of the details on the test pilot's face, but it did nothing to hide the wide grin._

“ _Okay, okay.” The deeper voice started up again as the camera moved back a bit. “Final test recording of the deflector shield starting. Blue, take your place. Green, preliminary readings?”_

_A higher voice, Green apparently, came from off screen along with the faint clacking of keys. “Roger, Yellow. Readings are good. Energy is stable and holding steady. Blue, take it slow to start. Readying lasers in five... four... three... two... one..”_

_Immediately, Blue shifted, turning just enough so that a laser hit the shield. He moved gracefully, apparently at ease with the test. He twisted here and there, turning so that each laser hit the shield. It was close to a dance._

_Green's voice came again. “Speeding up now, Blue.” The lasers started coming faster, but Blue seemed to be keeping pace well._

“ _This is looking great, Green. How's the energy?”_

“ _Stable. I think we finally got the wiring bug fixed. No more burns at least.” There was a smile in the voice. Green was pleased._

_After several minutes, the lasers finally stopped, and Blue clenched his hand, making the shield vanish. He shot the camera a set of finger guns before the screen went black._

 

“Oh my.” Coran was the first one to speak. “That is most impressive.”

Keith nodded. “I've heard that Sendak has been working on an energy shield for months but isn't even past the planning stage yet. The date on the video says it was only made last week.”

Allura, carefully set the tablet down. “We need these people. Sendak is one of Zarkon's best and if he hasn't been able to do it yet, then the fact that these three have is incredible. We have to get to them before Zarkon does.” If Altea Industries was ever going to thrive again, Allura needed people like this. People that could apparently stay out of the reach of Galra Corp. “Keith, see if your contact can find anything else. Coran, try and find that fireman, Shiro. He has to know where they are if they are going to make him an arm. Once we know where they are, we'll go meet them.” She looked up, meeting Keith's determined nod and Coran's beaming smile. They had to get there first this time.

 

*********

 

The warehouse that housed Voltron Technologies was large, and had several little offices, three labs, a meeting room and the training area. The best part about it was, that there had been enough space left over for the three to make rooms of their own. Living and working the the same place was usually tough for most people, but these three had been together long enough that it barely mattered.

Pidge was sitting cross legged on the floor, their ever present laptop open and casting their face with an eerie light. “The numbers from the last tests look good.” They frowned, as they worked.

Lance, who was sprawled across a chair, waved a hand at them.

As Hunk entered, tossing a granola bar to Lance before hovering over Pidge's shoulder. “If the tests are so good, why are you frowning?” He tore open his own snack, before dropping one on Pidge's lap.

They scowled, but picked up the treat. “Well, Shiro's announcement stirred up a lot of interest. They're looking for us. Both Altea and Galra. I told you two we shouldn't have done this.”

Hunk frowned but argued his point. “We couldn't just leave him, Pidge. He's one of us.”

A chime sounded from Pidge's computer, drawing both of their attention to the screen as a message popped up.

 

_**Blue:** _

_Exactly. We take care of our own._

_Always have and always will._

 

Pidge had to admit, Lance had a point. They looked after each other. But they still weren't sure about going head to head against Galra Corp. They were known to do whatever it took to stop out any competition. Another chime came from the laptop.

 

_**Blue:** _

_Stop worrying, Pidgeon. We're ready._

_It's time you two had your dream realized._

 

Hunk smiled, and patted Pidge's shoulder. “He's right. We are. We're in a good place here. Besides, what can the Galra use on us?”

Again, that was a good point. They had each other, Shiro and that was it. They had good tech, all of it theirs, stable funds, thanks to Lance, and they owned the warehouse. True, Galra Corp.was known to be ruthless and threatening, but they were ready. Besides, Altea was different from the Galra. All they had to do was say no and that would be it from them. Pidge relaxed and opened their granola bar. They would be fine.


	2. Plans and Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance makes his plans carefully, while a visit to Shiro leads to first meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone that read my first chapter. I appreciate it!!! 
> 
> I had this mostly written so I decided to get it up before I work on my other story. I hope you enjoy it!

Lance tilted his head back as he listened to his friends discuss the prosthetic they planned to make. He would always be the first to admit that he didn't always understand every word that his friends said. They were geniuses after all. Lance was smart, but not at that level. Truthfully, it didn't really bother him, and Hunk and Pidge were the most important people in the universe to him. Oh, there was Shiro as well, but he had always been a little apart from the rest of them. Shiro had looked after them a bit, in their earlier days, when only Lance was legal, and he was doing whatever he had to to keep Pidge and Hunk close.

He had plans of his own to make, so he let the sounds of his friends just wash over him as he thought. It would take months, possibly years for Shiro to get completely used to his new arm. There was no way he would work like that, and that simply was not acceptable. So, first, he needed to figure out something for Shiro to do, but still give him enough time to get used to his arm....

“...ce?”

… Then there was the matter of Galra and Altea. Truthfully, he didn't think Altea would be too much of a problem. Pidge practically considered Allura Altea the embodiment of all their life goals. Plus, from what he had heard, she was remarkably fair, in business. Lance knew none of them wanted to just be part of a larger company, well not that Lance really cared, but having their own tech company had been Hunk and Pidge's dream since they were kids. So, Lance would do whatever he had to in order to make that happen...

“Lance?”

...The Galra were different. Oh, Lance knew that very well. They were more like the old style mafia than an upstanding business. There was a lot of money to be made in technology, and the Galra didn't really want to share that. Lance didn't like their tactics though. They would intimidate, threaten, try to ruin deals, and there was that rumor that they started a fire at one of Altea's warehouses. But really, Haggar was the one that worried Lance the most...

“Lance!”

He blinked, finally drawn out of his thoughts. He tilted his head back, staring at his friends from the odd upside down angle. He was, as usual, sprawled in his favorite chair, one leg over the back and one over the armrest. His head was draped over the other, hanging just far enough that he could see the room. He waved a hand, letting them know he heard them.

“Where did you go, buddy?” Hunk looked a little worried, but that was normal. Hunk was always worried about him. The big softy.

“...Thinking.” Lance didn't talk much. Thanks to Hunk and Pidge and the little device they'd made him, he could again, but it still sounded wrong to him. It kind of sounded like him, but it also sounded like a voice on one of those GPS units and Lance had always found those things very creepy. Plus, he didn't need to talk. He had his phone, the same one that Shiro, Pidge and Hunk had, and his watch, that had a shorthand keyboard in it, both of which was linked to their own Pidge secure server, and it was easier to just type what he wanted and let them read it.

“We figured.” Ah, Pidge. No one should be able to fit that much brilliance and sarcasm into such a small person. “You gonna share, or are you going to help with this design?”

He shook his head, and pulled himself upright, sliding his phone out in the same motion. He typed rapidly, then stood stretching.

 

_**Blue:** _

_I don't design, I test. You know this._

_But, I had a thought._

 

Lance hid a smile at the little chime, Pidge had set up so they would know when Lance was talking. It was one of those rare, nice things that they did without even thinking about it. He moved around the room, typing with one hand while he collected his jacket, and snagged a small bag.

 

_**Blue:** _

_Shiro is going to need a job of sorts while he recovers._

_I was thinking we should hire him._

_Like a bodyguard or security._

 

He paused, slipping into his shoes while he waited for their answer.

Hunk grinned. “It would be nice to have him around more. Plus it would make it a lot easier to work on his arm.”

Pidge scowled, as they always did when thinking. “It would make adjustments easier, especially when getting the sizing, and adjusting the sensors... Think he'll go for it?”

Lance liked this. He liked knowing that his friends supported him. Pidge and Hunk were brilliant, and when it came to inventions, and such, Lance would always follow their suggestions without fail. But, for other things, more day to day plans, they would listen to him. It worked for them. He held up one finger, and then started typing again.

 

_**Blue:** _

_I think so. He needs to work, it's like... in his code._

_And we will need him once the Galra figure out where we are._

_I don't trust them, especially Haggar._

_We need Black._

 

Shiro had always been good at things like self defense, and he had a soft spot three miles wide for Hunk and Pidge. Those two were very, very good at what they did, but they were not fighters. Lance wanted Shiro here, to keep them safe. But, he also couldn't just say that. They'd worry about him, and Lance didn't want that. He could take care of himself. Always had. How to put it...

 

_**Blue:** _

_But, more than that, I don't want him alone._

_You know how he gets._

_Besides, I think he needs a nice cheerful visit up at the hospital today, don't you?_

 

When Hunk started smiling and Pidge sighed, Lance knew he had them. They could all go up to the hospital, visit with Shiro, cheer the guy up, and then Lance would casually drop the offer before they left. He knew Hunk would never be able to keep the fact that Altea and Galra were looking for them a secret. Hunk just could not keep a secret. Shiro would never let them stand up to Galra alone either. Then, with his family all together, Lance could focus on exactly what they would do, when Galra Corp. did come visiting.

 

*********

 

Allura's plan to visit the firefighter had been a bust. Shiro, as he insisted on being called, had been polite, and even shared a few jokes with Coran, but he had dodged every question about Voltron with ease. Keith was torn between being impressed and frustrated. He settled for irritated.

Coran was a godsend at casual conversation, and Keith was good at finding openings to help prod things along, but Allura was a master at worming things out of people. But, Shiro had already shut them down twice when Allura expressed interest in the other company. The obvious interest that he and Allura had in each other didn't make it any easier. Allura had a weakness for pretty and collected, and even injured and missing an arm, Shiro was attractive. The casual once over he gave her was also obvious, and Keith was terrible at noticing these things. Really... Keith liked pretty men too, but he preferred a bit more of a challenge.

Since they couldn't stay long, doctor's orders, Allura had politely asked if they could return, to check up on him. Before Shiro could answer his phone chimed, one single high note. Keith stared at the phone as Shiro awkwardly handled it. It was black, with what looked like a metal lion etched into the back. Keith was almost jealous, it looked pretty cool.

“Sorry about that. I have some friends coming for a visit and one of them sent me a message to let me know they were here.” Still the man smiled. Keith couldn't get that. How could you smile when you had lost an arm and your whole world was changed?

“Of course! A good visit with friends is always best for a quick recovery.” Coran practically beamed.

“Yes. We will leave you to your visit then.” Allura looked disappointed, but Keith wasn't sure if it was because they hadn't learned anything or if she just wanted to stay and talk more. It was hard to tell with Allura.

The door opened then and there was a large man standing in the door way, with a bright grin on his face and a little container in his hands. “Shiro! I brought you cookies!

“And movies!” A small head poked around, much shorter than her..his? Friend. Unlike the first one, this one was very short, with glasses and small laptop clutched in their hands. “Oh... you have... wait..” There was a solid moment where the two just stared and then the shorter one shrieked. “You're Allura Altea!!”

Keith blinked, Allura looked surprised but from the bed, Shiro started laughing. “Get in here, you two. Miss Altea, Mr. Altea. Mr. Kogane, these are my friends, Hunk” He gestured at the larger man, “and Pidge.” There was an awkward pause. “Where's...?”

“He's in the hall, harassing the doctor. You know how he is.” Hunk still smiled, but it looked slightly off now, but Keith could understand. Meeting new people was weird.

“But... But..” Pidge looked shocked. “She's...”

“Oh, don't worry. We were just leaving.”Allura smiled at the girl? Boy? But, then she was used to getting recognized. “We will visit you another time, Shiro.”

Keith let Allura and Coran leave first, before closing the door behind him just catching a “...doing here?” as the door closed. Odd... but then, they could just be worried about their friend. As he hurried to catch up, he bumped into another man, this was tall and wearing a jacket. Keith caught his elbow to help balance them both and then looked up into a pair of stunning blue eyes. “Uh... I'm..sorry.”

He was slightly aware of Allura and Coran watching from farther down the hall, of slightly amused eyes staring at him and then of the fact that he was still holding the man's arm. “Right. Sorry.” He pulled away like he'd been burned.

The other man smiled, a wide grin that caught Keith off guard, before he slipped away and into Shiro's room without a word.

Keith was frozen. That grin looked familiar, but Keith was positive he had never seen that man before. He would have remembered someone that looked like that, but there was something about that smile that he knew. He shook his head, and moved to catch up to the others.

“See something you liked, Keith?” In all the time he's known her, Allura had never missed a chance to tease him.

“I don't know, Allura... Did you?” At Coran's laugh and her sputter, Keith settled into thinking. Where had he seen that smile before?


	3. Welcome to Voltron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Shiro make plans. Allura and Coran get their meeting and Keith wonders exactly what is going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for how long it took me to get this chapter up. I really have no excuse... I'm finding it hard to get into the flow of this, and I want to work on it so badly. 
> 
> Please forgive me... and let me know if you like the update.. okay?

The visit was exactly what Lance thought it would be. Hunk and Pidge swarmed Shiro with treats and distractions, while Shiro listened patiently and coolly shot down some of their... more interesting ideas for his arm. Lance, for his part, kept using his phone to find pictures of adorable cats, catchy songs, or bit of news to keep Shiro entertained when Hunk and Pidge got a little too into their discussions. By the time they were halfway through one of the few movies they could all agree on, Pidge was asleep and curled into Hunk, who had his head tipped back, mouth open and snoring softly.

“I know you guys didn't come just to watch movies with me.” Shiro's voice, while sleepy was still enough to draw Lance's attention away from the movie.

The thing was, with Shiro's right arm gone, it would be difficult for him to use his phone, plus the chime would probably wake Pidge. Which, really left only one option for Lance, he shifted in his chair, took a breath and forced a grin while he answered. “Wow... Kinda rude there, but I'll forgive you.”

Shiro winced, “Oh, Lance.. I'm..”

Lance pointed at Shiro. “If you apologize, I will tell every singe nurse, doctor and assistant in this building that the only food you can stand right now is tapioca pudding.” Satisfied his threat would do for now, Lance went on. “Of course, we came to cheer you up. You're family.” He smiled, showing the warmth that his 'voice' couldn't anymore.

It worked because Shiro grinned. “Oh sure, threats involving the food I hate the most always brings my mood up.” He glances over at the other two, before turning back. “But, seriously, how are things?”

Lance let his smile fade. “We're being looked into. It's fine, we're ready.” He paused, getting to his feet and stealing one of Shiro's blankets to cover his friends with. “Was thinking though...” He paused, deciding on the exact words that he wanted. “Was wondering...”

Shiro smiled, warm and honest. “Take your time.”

That was the thing about Shiro. He was so patient. It was one of the things that made him so easy to talk to. Unless he was being stubborn, then it was like trying to get Pidge to sleep. “We need you around for the prosthetic fittings and such. So, I was thinking, since Galra Corp will eventually send someone... That we could hire you for security.” Lance immediately held up his hands, trying to stop any protests. “Just until you get used to the arm. I know you love being a fireman, and I would never ask anyone to give up their dream.”

Shiro was quiet for a long time, before he sighed. “And after? What happens after I'm used to it? They aren't just going to go away, Lance.”

Lance nodded. Of course, they wouldn't just go away. “Then, before you leave, you pick someone else.”

Shiro stared, then dropped his voice to a whisper. “You mean it... You'd let me pick anyone I wanted. Just so I could... Of course you would.” Silence settled in the room, broken only by the faint sounds of the movie. “Okay. I'm getting out next week, so you'll come pick me up....”

Lance let out a breath. “...Thank you...”

 

*********

 

By the time, Shiro was finally allowed to check out of the hospital, four days after the original estimate, he was more than ready to leave. He hated the food, hated the sympathetic looks on the faces of the nurses and doctors, hated the silence of the room, and more than anything, hated that no matter what, it felt like his arm was still there at times. He'd had one more visit from Altea Industries which, while it was nice to have visitors, had been full of more subtle questions about Voltron.

He liked them though. The red haired man, Coran, was funny, in a goofy way that reminded him of Lance, while Miss Altea, who had insisted he call her Allura, was charming, and lovely. The other one, Keith, he was quieter, however, Shiro suspected that he didn't miss much. But, no matter how nice they seemed, or how much Shiro liked them, his loyalty was to the others. Pidge and Hunk were like little siblings, and Shiro just wanted to keep them safe and see them do great things. He knew that they would. He'd never met anyone smarter than the two of them, and together they were nearly unstoppable. Lance... He was like a sibling too, but, he had never let Shiro protect him. He always, always put the other two first, above everything. Lance was a lot like Shiro in that way.

He looked up in the door opened, expecting Lance but was met with Coran's wide smile instead. That was interesting, but then again, also expected. They knew he was leaving today, it was, in a way, their last chance to see what they could figure out. “Oh, hello.”

“Good day, my boy. How are you feeling?” The older man seemed genuinely interested. It also appeared to be just him today... odd.

“Well enough, just waiting for my friend to pick me up.” It wasn't hard to return the smile. “I'll be glad to be out of here.”

Coran tugged on his mustache. “Oh, I can imagine. I was just in the area and thought I would pop in to say hello.”

“That's nice of you...”

Two quick knocks sounded on the door, and Lance poked his head in with a smile. He waved but made no move to come inside.

“Hey.” Shiro glanced from his friend to Coran. “Lance, this is Mr. Altea from Altea Industries. Coran, this is my friend Lance.”

To his credit, Coran's smile never faded. “A pleasure to meet you! I understand you'll be looking after Shiro while he recovers?”

Lance nodded, then gave a thumbs up.

Shiro stood, wobbled a bit, then smiled. “Lance doesn't talk, but don't worry. I'm in good hands.”

“Ah, understood.” Coran stared at Lance, who was fiddling with his watch. “Well, I won't keep you, I really was just in the area. I am glad to see you feeling better.” Coran turned back to face Shiro.

He watched as Lance started gesturing the minute the older man wasn't watching. First to Coran, then to himself. He tapped his watch several times, then held his fingers up like a phone. Then he pulled out his phone and typed a quick message, before shoving it back into his pockets.

It only took a second before Shiro's phone let out a single loud chime. “Just a minute.” It took him some time to work his phone out of his pocket, and while it was still awkward using it with his left hand, he managed. 

_**Blue:** _

_Tell him that you arranged a meeting with V_

_As a thanks_

_Tomorrow at noon_

Shiro smiled, then tucked the phone away. “Hey Coran, before you go..”

“Yes, my boy?” That wide smile was back.

“You and Allura have been very kind to me, and I wanted to do something as thanks. So, I asked if Voltron Tech would be willing to meet with you. They just sent me a reply saying that they would. Tomorrow at noon.”

Coran's smile only grew. “Oh, Shiro. That is very kind of you. I will tell Allura immediately! She will be so pleased...”

“I can't promise they will agree with anything, you understand...” Shiro was having a hard time keeping his grin hidden, especially when Coran started rambling about how Shiro didn't need to worry, and that Allura would be so thankful. Well, that was one thing settled.

 

*********

 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Keith asked for the third time. He didn't want to ruin Allura's good mood, but he just had a feeling that something was off.

“Yes, Keith.” Allura's reply was less patient than before. “The fact that Shiro even asked them for us, is huge. We have to go.”

Keith scowled. He'd been in a fairly bad mood since he'd bumped into the guy in the hospital. He still thought that smile looked familiar, but hadn't been able to figure out from where. Then, just a few days ago, they had learned that two of their researcher's, Rolo and Nyma, had actually been spying on them for Galra Corp. Three projects had been stolen, and two had been sabotaged. Now, they were finally going to meet with the mysterious Voltron Tech, but they still knew almost nothing. “I just don't like going into important meeting with no information.”

“I understand, son... But, given the recent troubles, we cannot allow the opportunity to pass.” Coran, paused, checking the directions that they had been sent. Directions, that were delivered to Allura's private email and that were unable to be traced back to anything solid.

Keith was fully prepared to continue but just ahead was Shiro. He was standing in front of one of the many warehouses in the area. He looked more rested, than he had the last time Keith had seen him.

“Sorry for the secrecy, but that was the only way they would agree.” He seemed sincere, but Keith never had been good at judging emotions.

Coran stepped forward, patting Shiro's left shoulder. “Nothing to apologize for, my boy.”

“Indeed. I'm so grateful to you for helping to arrange this.” Allura added.

Shiro nodded and led them inside. The room was large, with three doors, two one the right and one on the left. Shiro immediately turned to the door on the left. “I'm supposed to take you to the training room, but if they're testing anything, we have to wait until their done.”

The next room was smaller only two doors, but it had large windows that looked down into a larger room. This room, had bits of machines in it, and two large screens on one side. In the center of the room, the same man from the video was adjusting something attached to his right arm. He was dressed in the same blue armor as before, down to the helmet that covered his face.

As he watched the screens light up and two faces appeared. One had a yellow helmet and the other had green. The visors made it impossible to get any details, but Keith knew, they had be Voltron. It looked like the green one was doing all of the talking.

Shiro moved over to a small console and pressed a red button. “Altea Industries is here for the meeting.”

There was a faint crackle and then a mechanical voice sounded. “Bring them down, Black.”

Shiro smiled, and gestured to the other door. “We'll go down the stairs and then, that's all I can do.”

“Why did that voice call you Black?” Keith was getting more suspicious by the second, but he still followed down the staircase. The set up was amazing, and from what little he'd seen, it was obvious that This group did not need any kind of help of Altea. So why had they agreed to a meeting?

“They offered me a job while I'm getting used to the prosthetic. That includes a code name. It's for security.” Shiro's reply seemed short, but Keith could understand. Security was important, especially with Galra Corp.

“If that is the case... then I will respect those wishes and not ask for any names.” Allura offered slowly, earning herself a grateful smile.

The stairs were short, and there was another door at the end. It opened directly into the training room. The man in blue, turned as they entered, while the other two remained on the screens.

The man opened his mouth and that mechanical voice came again. “I am Blue. This is Green and Yellow.” Blue crossed his arms. “Welcome to Voltron.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a [Tumblr](https://collector-of-hats.tumblr.com/) now! It's small and sad and empty... but.. you cna say hi... if you wanna.... >_>


	4. Enter The Galra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The meeting between Altea and Voltron doesn't go as Allura planned. The Galra arrive to make their own offer.. and Voltron has a decision to make..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read this and left me a comment. I'm really happy that you all enjoy this. 
> 
> Fair warning, I am going on a little trip next weekend so I will not be updating anything until after the second of June (my birthday yay!) Thank you for your patience.

Allura stepped forward. “I am Allura Altea, this is Coran and this is Keith. I thank you for agreeing to this meeting.”

“Black is really the one to thank.” Green offered. “Well, Black and Blue.”

“Green.” Yellow warned.

“Black said that you've been wanting to speak to us.” Blue stated. He hadn't moved from the middle of room. “What is it that you want?”

“We were hoping that due to the threat of Galra Corp, that you would be willing to join with us and together we could make Altea Industries a company to be proud of again.” She stopped, when all three heads shook in unison.

“I'm sorry, but we prefer to remain our own company.” Yellow offered.

“We've worked hard to get here. This is.. ours. We can't just give it up.” Green's answer was firm.

Blue said nothing, but nodded after each statement.

Keith glared, but before Allura could speak, he took two steps and snapped. “That's not going to cut it when they show up! You'll be working for them no matter what, unless you join with us. Do you actually care about what your doing, or do you just want to make sure you're on the wining side?”

“Keith!”

“Now, son...”

Blue crossed his arms. “The winning side? I'm sure that's all this is for you. A side to be picked and a team to play on... They do it for family.” One hand came up and pointed at Coran and Allura. “To honor the one that came before, to do their best in that memory. That isn't what this is for us. This is a dream. Something that has been worked for, sacrificed for. Something precious that we will fight for... But, what do you care about that?” The hand drifted almost lazily to gesture at shocked Keith. “It's just about sides for you.”

Shiro took a step forward. “Blue..”

“Right, right.” He took a breath. “We will not be joining Galra Corp either. There is nothing for them to threaten us with. We have nothing to take away. But..” His head turned, first toward Green who scowled, and then toward Yellow who shrugged, before facing Allura again. “In all truth? You won't succeed even with our help unless you can get rid of all the traitors first.”

Allura shook her head firmly. “We learned about the spies just a few days ago. We've already had them removed from the company.”

Green sighed, and a faint typing noise was heard before their screen went black and a diagram appeared. It showed the names of several people, all working for Altea and showed how they were all connected to Galra Corp. Despite on being on the screen, Green's voice was still mostly clear. “As you can see, those two were your main source of trouble, but you didn't take into account all the people that they managed to threaten or sway to their side. Really, the two you have with you are about the only ones you have left. I'm not going to mince words in order to spare your feelings.. but really, I don't know what you can do.” The diagram vanished, and Green's head appeared again.

“What we will do, however, is send that diagram to you so if nothing else, you can clear them all out.” Yellow offered, a hesitant smile on his face.

Coran stepped forward. “That would be appreciated, but I must ask why? Also, how did you learn of all this?”

Keith was wondering the same thing, but didn't really want to cause any more problems.

“Green can hack anything.” Blue's mechanical tone was the same as it had been the entire time. “Also, your spies have left plenty of open channels so it's easier for Zarkon and Haggar to know all your plans. As for why.. Just because we don't want to merge with you, doesn't mean we want your company destroyed.”

“Are you not concerned at all?” Allura pressed. “They will know where you are, who you are, and they won't stop.”

Yellow sighed. “Who are we then? Are we even there? Technology has grown so much that Green and I could be on another continent and still speak to you.”

“They could take your fancy robot.” Keith muttered, but apparently it was loud enough that everyone heard him.

Green frowned, and Yellow winced. Even Shiro looked unhappy. Blue's hands clenched, before he slowly released them. “With all due respect... I think I'm done here. Green, Yellow, I'm sorry I asked you to take this meeting. Clearly, it was a bad idea.”

Allura held up her hands. “No, wait please.”

Yellow spoke again, his tone hard for the first time. “No, I think Blue is right. Obviously, the ones you are close to judge others, based entirely on an assumption.”

“I for one, see no point in wasting my time on someone that would judge Blue so easily.” Green snapped. “Black, they can leave now.” Green's screen went dark immediately, Yellow's following shortly after.

Coran took a step to the side, just out of Shiro's reach. “If I may. It's simply that we don't understand. We truly to not mean any insult and Keith will apologize. But please, just a moment more?”

Shiro turned toward Blue, his head slightly tilted. Blue took another breath, and shrugged. “Fine. But, I am not calling Yellow and Green back. I won't risk having them insulted too.”

Allura nodded immediately. “Of course.” She then promptly elbowed Keith in the side.

“I'm sorry for calling you a robot...” He straightened. “And for being rude earlier.”

Blue nodded, and opened his mouth, but one of the screens came back on and Yellow was back. “Blue! Black! They're here!”

Shiro tensed, but didn't move from Allura's side. Blue, on the other hand, darted across the room and slammed his hand on a control panel. “Yellow, lock down all the doors except the way here. Get Green to do whatever it is that fries phones and cameras. Then, both of you get into Green's lab and lock it _all_ the way down.” He didn't even look up as Yellow's screen went dark again. “Black, get them to the meeting room. With my luck, they brought Haggar and we are not letting that old witch find Altea's Princess here.” He grabbed a couple of black clips and fitted them to his arm, then stood directly in front of the control panel.

“What are you going to do?” Shiro's tone was softer now, even as he gently grabbed Allura's arm to start guiding her away. Coran catching her other arm, in support.

“I'm apparently going to have another meeting.”

“You can't stay here by yourself!” Keith announced. “If they knew we were coming here, then they are going to expect one of us to actually be in here. I'll stay.”

“But Keith...” Allura looked torn.

“That's not a bad idea.” Blue stated, turning his head toward Shiro. “He makes a good point, and you will never stay with them if I'm out here alone, despite not having your new arm yet. So go, get them safe and stay there. We'll handle this.”

Shiro frowned but nodded. “Okay, Blue. Just.. be careful.” He then ushered Coran and Allura out of the room.

Blue waited just long enough for the door to close behind Shiro before he pushed another button on the control panel. There was a faint clicking sound. “Just us then. It won't take them long to get here...”

Keith moved a bit closer, turning so that he was facing the same door Blue was. “What can I do?”

Blue turned his head toward Keith, his mouth set into a thin line. “Hope and pray it isn't Haggar that walks through that door...” His head snapped back toward the door as it opened.

A tall thin man, in a very expensive suit walked through the door like it belonged to him. His long white hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and he had sunglasses over his eyes. Another, shorter man followed, he had a scar under one eye and a briefcase in his hand.

“Ah... I expected the lovely lady Allura here... but it's just you.” The white haired man smiled, but it was thin.

“So sorry to disappoint you, Lotor.” Keith snapped.

“Well, since she is not here, we should go ahead and get this business settled.” Lotor turned his smile to Blue, who had not moved. “I presume that you are Voltron Technologies?”

Blue shrugged. “Part. The rest of my team is not here.”

The shorter man started at the strange voice, but Lotor continued on. “Ah well, it doesn't matter. I am here with an offer for you, on behalf of Galra Corp, and my father Zarkon...”

“Pass.”

Even Keith turned to stare at Blue.

“You haven't even heard my offer.” Lotor stated, pulling his sunglasses down slightly and peering over the top of them.

“I don't need to.” Blue's mouth was set into a frown and the visor covered his eyes. His legs were slightly set apart and his left arm was held slightly behind him. “I will tell you the same thing I told him. We're not interested.”

The short man sputtered. “Do you have any idea who you're speaking to?”

“Sendak.”

He quieted but still glared at Blue.

“Yes, I am aware. Lotor, only son of Zarkon, head of Galra Corp. I don't care what your offer is, the answer is no.” Blue still did not move from his spot.

“I am prepared to offer you and your team a sizable amount of money to join us.” Lotor smirked, gesturing to the briefcase Sendak was holding.

“No.”

“Would you prefer it then, if I went about this is a less than polite manner? I can, of course, threaten the ones you hold dear...”

Keith spoke up then. “Of course you can. That's what you do when someone says no, you bully and threaten. One of these days, you'll learn that high school is over, Lotor.”

“I wasn't speaking to you, rat! Altea's days are numbered, even if you do somehow manage to convince these.. people to your side. We always get what we want.” Lotor glared one more time at Keith before turning back to Blue. “Now, which way do you prefer?”

“I prefer, if you turn around and walk right back out the way you came in.” Blue replied instantly. “It's polite to _schedule_ a meeting before showing up. It is also polite for guests to leave when they are asked.”

“I see...” Lotor removed his glasses completely, frowning now at Blue. “You are aware that you are simply making this far more difficult then it needs to be, yes? Perhaps, call your... team and make certain they are alright with you dismissing my very generous offer.”

Blue raised his right hand and waved it a couple of times, dismissively. “No need. We are not merging with either of you. Thank you very much, have a nice day, and don't let the door catch your hair on the way out.”

This time, it was Lotor that sputtered. “How insolent... Very well. I will inform my father that you.. decline. Just be aware that our next offer will be far less... favorable to you. Come Sendak.” He spun theatrically, and headed for the door, a glaring Sendak following.

Blue turned his head, and held one hand up to his mouth, pressing his finger there, so Keith could see, He stayed completely still for at least fifteen minutes, before turning back to the control panel and pushing a few buttons. A small screen appeared, showing a count of seven, and Blue sighed. “Alright... they're gone. I'll take you to the meeting room now.”

Keith opened his mouth, and then closed it immediately. “R..right.”

 

*********

 

Blue led him through a different door, and down a short hall. The hall was well lit, with two doors near the end. Blue stopped at one, and opened it. This room has a small round table in it with five chairs. Allura and Coran were sitting while Shiro was standing in between them and the door.

“Stand down, Black. Just us.” Blue stepped to the side so Keith could enter as well.

“Are you hurt? Either of you? Keith, son, who was it?” Coran moved so fast that he nearly knocked Shiro over, in his hurry to hug Keith.

“I'm fine. It was Lotor and Sendak. They came, postured, threatened, were shot down and left.” Keith kept squirming to try and get out of the hold.

“Just those two?” Shiro asked.

“No Haggar.” Blue answered shortly.

“You're certain?”

“Yup.” Blue took a step back.

“Wait a moment, please.” Allura stood and moved forward. She continued until Blue actually took a step back to keep out of reach. “I wanted to thank you, for granting us the use of this room. I also wished to know... why? Why did you allow us to stay here?”

Keith finally got away from Coran. “Why didn't you let Lotor finish his offer? I mean, you at least let Allura get that far.”

Blue shook his head. “We aren't like them. I won't throw someone under the bus just to save my own neck. If they knew you were here, then... it is likely that you wouldn't have made it home.” Blue shook his head again. “Besides, I didn't need to hear his offer. It was going to end similarly to yours. Join them.” He shrugged. “Why do we have to be the ones to give up?” He waved a hand, a small smile appearing. “Black, you can make sure they get out okay. I need to go let Yellow and Green out.”

Coran frowned, but spoke up just before Blue could leave. “What about a collaboration then? If Altea and Voltron worked together on a project? That would not be the same as a merge, but it could be a benefit to us both.”

Allura clapped her hand together. “Yes! That is a splendid idea, Coran! Might you be willing to do that?”

Blue's smile faded, and Shiro shifted a bit before speaking up. “Allura, I know that you want what's best for your company... but I'm not so sure that they can trust your people...”

Keith nodded. “True...” He ignored the looks both Allura and Coran sent him. “But, if it was just us three that shouldn't be too bad. Right?” He turned to face Blue.

Who was frowning. He was tugging on his right glove and the strange clips that he had attached just before Lotor had arrived. There were six in all, one on the back of his hand, one at the shoulder, wrist and elbow, one on his forearm and one on his bicep.

Shiro smiled, small and sad. “Blue, go get Green and Yellow. Discuss it with them. I'm sure Allura will wait for you to decide.”

Allura nodded. “Of course, please take your time. We will wait as long as you need us to.”

Blue nodded and silently left.

Keith immediately turned to Shiro. “Do you really think they'll agree?”

“Honestly? I don't know...”

 


	5. Here's The Deal.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A decision is reached and Voltron Tech makes an offer to the remaining members of Altea Industries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I've been really busy the last few weeks and I had some ideas that needed to be written out before I updated this. I hope it is worth the wait.

Lance determinedly did not think about the offer while he traversed the winding halls, on the way to Pidge's lab. He just kept his thoughts on his team. Pidge, who despite being snarky and often downright evil, was his sister. Just like Hunk was his younger brother. Oh, not by blood, none of them had any true family left, not for a long time, but these two, were Lance's. He had keep them safe when they were younger, he was the one that worked three jobs at one point to keep them all in food. He was the one that faced down Haggar, alone, to keep them out of Galra hands. Lance looked after them, it was as simple as that.

 

He stopped outside of a simple door with a hand scanner, and worked his left glove off. Despite most scanners reacting to right hands, Pidge and made these to respond to only three hands. Left hands to be exact. With the lab locked down, Lance was the only one that could open the door. Not even Shiro had access yet. He pressed his hand to the little scanner and there was a high pitched whine. Lance immediately spoke.

 

“Yellow flowers, green trees and blue skies.”

 

There was a click and he opened the door. He didn't even get it completely closed behind him before Hunk had him wrapped in a hug and off the ground. Lance patted his back, looking for Pidge, who was apparently right behind Hunk.

 

“What happened?”

“Are you okay?”

“Who came?”

“Where's Shiro?”

“Are they still here?”

 

“Hey!” Lance winced, remembering why he didn't like to raise his voice anymore. It nearly always made the voice turn turn to nothing but a high sound, but it did at least get them to stop with the rapid questions.

 

He wiggled free, putting a hand on Pidge's shoulder, then holding up a finger. He'd honestly done enough talking today, and there was still more in his future. He worked his phone free from the armor they had designed, and started to type as quickly as he could.

 

**Blue:**

_ I'm fine. _

_ Lotor and Sendak where the ones that showed up. _

_ They made the offer we expected. I declined. _

_ Our visitors are with Shiro in the meeting room... _

_ They want to do a collaboration with us. _

 

The computer across the room chimed, and both moved closer to read it. Pidge reacted first.

 

“No way!” Pidge snapped. “I heard what that jerk said! I don't care what they offer.”

 

Hunk shook his head. “I kind of agree, Lance. He was really mean..”

 

Lance sighed. Honestly, there was no real hope of saving Altea Industries. It was just too far gone. The problem was, Lance hated to know that Galra Corp, would win. They were horrid, and yeah sure, that Keith guy had been a jerk, but he was nothing like the Galra. There was Shiro to consider too, he actually liked them.

 

Lance sighed, the sound almost like a mechanical whistle. He held up a finger and started typing again.

 

**Blue:**

_ Do you want your own tech company or not?” _

_ Because really it comes down to this. _

_ You two have the designs and inventing down, and you know I can handle the testing _

_ But, who is going to make the deals? _

_ Who is going to make the press announcements? _

 

 

Pidge frowned. “I hadn't thought that far. None of us really want the spotlight...” They looked up at Hunk. “Like you said, we're the brains here.”

 

Hunk nodded, mouth in an unhappy line. “Lance would be great at it, but...”

 

**Blue:**

_ Exactly. _

_ But right now, there are three people sitting with Shiro that are going to be taken out by Galra Corp. _

_ People that can do what we need. _

_ This is your dream, guys. You have to decide what to do. _

 

Lance didn't necessarily like the idea, but it was what would be best for Hunk and Pidge's dream. He couldn't have his own, not anymore, but he would do what he needed to for them.

 

*********

 

Blue had been gone for almost half an hour, and Shiro was starting to worry. He knew no one was hurt, but, he didn't know what they would end up deciding. He's support them no matter what, but he really wished he was down there with them.

 

“Do you think they will return soon?” Allura's soft voice came from the table. She was sitting there comfortably, Coran at her side, while Keith seemed to be hovering near the door.

 

Shiro shook his head. “I don't know. I honestly have no idea what kind of security they have to go through, or what Green and Yellow will say to your offer.”

 

“It looked pretty secure to me.” Keith offered, eyes fixed on the door. “Hand scanners, the ability to lock all the doors on command. It's impressive.”

 

“Well, son, maybe if they accept our offer, you can pick up some tricks for Altea?”

 

Shiro honestly did not see that happening but he didn't want to burst the other man's bubble either. He was wracking his brain to find a nice neutral answer when the door opened.

 

Blue came back in, shoulders stiff, and mouth set firmly in a frown. Allura immediately rose and took a couple of steps closer.

 

Before she could speak, Blue stepped to the side, ending up almost right next to Keith, and in walked a large person in yellow and a much shorter one in green. Both of them looked at Blue, who smiled and nodded.

 

“I'm Green. This is Yellow.” Green crossed their arms, and scowled, eyes hidden behind their own visor.

 

Allura stepped forward again, this time with a smile. “I thank you for the use of your room and the protection offered during our stay.” She smiled at Shiro, who's ears turned red.

 

Yellow rested a gloved hand on Green's shoulder. “Blue told us about your idea. To be honest, we were going to dismiss it outright. But, he made some good points that we had to discuss.” Yellow's head turned toward Blue, who nodded.

 

Green frowned just a little harder then sighed. “Fine. Honestly, we can't help you save your company. I'm sorry about that, I really am, but.. ugh.”

 

“There isn't anything we can do.” Yellow offered. “If it was a year ago.. even just six months.. maybe we could have helped... but, they've gotten to almost all your researchers, set fire to three of your warehouses and told some hospitals that had ordered your new heart monitors that you had stolen their design, which they actually stole from you. It's just.. too late. I'm sorry.”

 

Allura blinked, sniffed, then raised a hand to wipe delicately under her left eye. “I-I understand. I just.. did not wish to ruin my father's legacy.”

 

Green shifted, moving from one foot to the other, while Yellow's shoulders drooped. Coran patted Allura's shoulder while Keith glared at nothing.

 

Shiro however, looked from Yellow and Green to Blue. If that was all they were going to say, then they would have just let Blue handle it. Something else was going on, and he had a feeling it was Blue's idea.

 

Green sighed again, and crossed their arms. “If you think about it, you didn't.” Green raised their hand and then abruptly dropped it. “Technically, you did everything right, you worked hard, flushed out the spies, aimed for good publicity... You just.. started too late is all.” They were practically muttering at the end.

 

Yellow promptly beamed and even Shiro smiled.

 

Allura looked close to tears. “I.. thank you. I was so afraid that it was due to my inexperience...”

 

Blue finally spoke up from his place near Keith. “No... It was never a fair fight.”

 

Keith stared at Blue, while Allura took a moment to compose herself.

 

Green turned to Blue, and made a couple of rapid hand gestures, which Blue returned with a few of his own. Huffing, they turned back to Allura and Coran. “Blue says you want to do a collaboration. I honestly do not see a point to it. It's a sound idea, but it won't help you much.”

 

Coran nodded. “We understand. We also appreciate your frankness. So..”

 

“Neither will us joining your company,” Green continued as if Coran hadn't spoken. “The loss of the storehouses, and the running rumors of theft won't be fixed unless Galra Corp is completely exposed as the lying cheaters that they are.”

 

Shiro blinked, then immediately glared at Blue, who was doing an excellent job of ignoring him.

 

“So, it is our suggestion that instead of us joining you under Altea's name... you help us out under ours, and we will get the proof you need to expose them.” Green finished crossing their arms. “We can't find that and work on our own company at the same time.” The helmeted head turned again to Blue, then back. “This is our only offer. You help us with things we cannot handle yet, like publicity and securing contracts, and we will use our skills and time that we don't have to devote to those things to shutting down Galra Corp. Like an alliance. Think about it. We'll wait.”

 

Allura looked shocked, but she motioned Keith and Coran close, immediately starting to whisper to each other.

 

Shiro sucked in a breath. “Blue...”

 

“Black..”

 

“Is this really what you want to do?” Shiro wasn't sure it was a good plan. He'd know that they had always intended to get as much on Galra as possible to help themselves out, but here they were, some of the most suspicious people he knew, offering to help knowing what it would entail. “Are you  _ sure _ , Blue?”

 

Yellow patted Shiro on the shoulder. “We all agreed on it, Black. No one else can do it.”

 

Shiro kept staring at Blue. Finally, after a long moment, Blue raised his head. “Black. Think of what they took from me. Now think of what would have happened to Green and Yellow if I hadn't let them catch me. Now tell me, this is the wrong choice.” Blue's voice sounded as if the volume had been turned down.

 

Shiro winced, then glanced back at the small group huddled around the table. “How are you going to...”

 

“I have seven different non-disclosure agreements ready for them to sign, Black.” Green announced. “I have us covered.”

 

Shiro sighed. “Okay...”

 

*********

 

It was a good offer. Even Keith knew that. He wasn't much for technology, and even less for working with people he didn't know, but... Blue could have kicked them out at anytime, especially after Keith's slip ups. He could have thrown all three of them to Lotor, but he had protected them instead. Green didn't have to tell Allura it wasn't her fault, ease some of her guilt. They were apparently good people.

 

“I think we should.” Keith finally spoke up after a good fifteen minutes of Coran and Allura arguing points. “Listen, none of us are happy that we can't save the company. But, that doesn't mean we can't bring back a better Altea Industries after this is over. We can't do that if Galra Corp is making threats and ruining good companies.”

 

“I understand, Keith but..”

 

“No my dear. He is correct.” Coran patted her shoulder. “We need help, we have already decided this. We also agreed that these people were very good at what they do. Being here has only confirmed it. We should accept the offer.”

 

Allura bit her lip then sighed. “You're both correct. I know that... Very well.” She turned facing the small group. “What would this entail for us?”

 

Green took a step back, and Yellow right with them. Blue pushed off the wall and moved forward. “We have some non-disclosure agreements for you to sign. To protect our projects and our identities. We will all work together to take down Galra Corp. Green is willing to dig into their contracts, finances, and their various... external projects. Yellow is going to help. Once we finish Black's arm, he can focus on getting used to it, and adding an extra layer of protection for all of us. I will get whatever information I can from my own contacts. Once we have as much information as possible, we will all sit down and make a plan to expose them.”

 

Yellow nodded. “All we really ask, is that you help us while we do that. We have enough projects either in testing or in the beta stages that we need someone familiar with the buyers. We have a solid reputation with the army, but other than that we're still new.”

 

“We need a public speaker. One that will not use our names, and is able to focus on the projects.” Green added. “We need someone to knows who to talk to, who not to. Having extra eyes here while we are working is a bonus too.”

 

Allura tilted her head slightly. “That does seem reasonable. Coran is excellent at public speaking, and I am aware of most of the buyers and various dealers.. What about Keith?”

 

Green and Yellow both frowned, but Blue waved a hand at them. “He can tag along with me. It's fine.”

 

Allura looked at Coran who smiled encouragingly. “Very well. We agree. Where are your documents?”


	6. An Alliance Started

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The alliance against Galra Corp has started, and while everyone is still learning their way around each other, some are more determined than others to insure it goes smoothly, for more than one reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not going to lie, this is a little bit of a filler chapter. I got a new computer and am still getting used to the new keyboard. 
> 
> Still I would like to know what you all think.

Despite watching closely, no one had any idea where Green had pulled the thick handful of papers from, but they were spread over the meeting table in stacks of three. Allura flipped through them with practiced ease, noting the various things covered on each contract. One was their identities, names, descriptions even various mannerisms were covered, but Allura didn’t think that would be an issue. Next was their projects, which covered anything they might see being designed, tested or built. It also covered anything originally made by Voltron for their own personal uses. Again, that was reasonable. The third paper was an employment contract, outlining the various tasked that had already been discussed. The fourth was surprising, it was for testing grounds and practices, stating clearly that while they may watch they were not allowed to interfere in any testing procedures that might be done. Allura found that one odd, and glanced up to pose a question. 

 

Blue was still near the door, but had a phone in his hands, and was rapidly tapping on it, while Green was doing the same, Yellow and Shiro leaving over the shorter one’s shoulders to see. The helmets made it impossible to see any of their expressions except for Shiro and he looked honestly surprised. Allura glanced over at her uncle, who like her was reading each paper carefully, then to her cousin, who had signed every paper and was back to staring at the small group. She’d have to remind him of exactly what he had agreed to and again stress the importance of reading things. 

 

Turning her attention back to the papers, she continued reading. The fifth, detailed exactly what help Voltron was willing to offer in the alliance to take down Galra Corp. The sixth paper, was another confidentiality contract, this one stating that any personal details about their past would not be spoken of. Honestly, Allura was both surprised and impressed by the level of detail. The final paper detailed that after Galra Corp was destroyed, that Voltron and Altea would be allies, occasionally working in collaboration but that they were not part of the same company. It was honestly more than Allura had expected. It wasn’t her ideal result, which would have made Altea great again, but it was much much better than the outright refusal that she likely would have gotten. 

 

When the papers were signed, Green was the one to look over each one before tucking them away again. They nodded, and turned to face Blue. Allura watched as both went through another set of complicated hand gestures, before Blue stretched, and reached up pulling off his helmet to show messy brown hair and sharp blue eyes. She heard Keith suck in a breath behind her, and realized that she vaguely knew that face. The feeling only grew when Green and then Yellow did the same, revealing faces that Allura had seen only once, in Shiro’s hospital room. These were the friends that had come to visit him. 

 

“You are…” 

 

Shiro stepped forward, placing his hand on Yellow’s shoulder. “Yes, these are my friends. Hunk,” Here, he patted the shoulder, then moved it to Green’s head. “Pidge and Lance.” On the last name, the arm came up, motioning to Blue. 

 

A pair of round glasses appeared and settled on Pidge’s nose. “I prefer they pronouns.” 

 

Hunk laughed awkwardly, but shifted a bit, looking more than uncomfortable. That changed the instant Lance stepped forward, and casually leaned his left arm on Hunk’s shoulder. 

 

“As fun as this is. I have work to do.” Lance waved his right hand at Pidge who looked like they would protest. “Readings, Pidge. You spent two hours this morning telling me how important they were for Shiro’s arm. Play nice, show them around. I’ve talked enough today.” 

 

Allura was shocked to hear the same mechanical sounding voice despite the helmet being removed. A check, showed that Coran and Keith were in a similar state. Still, from what Allura had gathered, Blue had been instrumental in helping them get this interview and that deserved some kind of acknowledgement. So she stepped forward, heels clicking slightly on the metal floor, and extended her hand to Lance. 

 

“I thank you, for your help, and the protection offered.” She smiled, genuinely thankful, and watched as he hesitated, before lightly shaking her hand and stepping back. He didn’t smile, and he wasn’t as relaxed as he had been leaning on Hunk, but Allura could understand. Hopefully, they would all warm up to each other quickly. 

 

*********

 

Pidge still wasn’t sure this was a good idea. Lance seemed to think so, and Shiro seemed to like them, which was really enough for them, but they were still going to keep a very close eye on all of them. Shiro and Lance were the ones that openly protected the little makeshift family they had, but Pidge and Hunk looked after them in their own ways. 

 

“Hey, don’t forget to take Keith here with you.” Pidge smirked, lazily gesturing toward Keith. “You did say he could tag along.” Lance may be willing to put aside the insults from earlier, but Pidge had zero interest in spending any time with the guy. The Lance before, the one that used to talk all the time, would have started a fight, argued until one of them blew up, but the Lance now, he weighed every word, didn’t argue as much, unless it was over his phone, then he was still the same mouthy goofball that Pidge loved as a brother. Maybe having more people around would be good for him. Pidge had Hunk and their tech, that was really all they needed. Hunk had Pidge, and cooking and building. Shiro had always been a little apart from the rest of them, working toward his dream, and they would give it back to him, Pidge was certain about that, but Lance.. Lance needed something else, but Pidge had no idea what that was. 

 

Lance raised his hand gesturing at Keith. “Come on then, Red.” 

 

Pidge was surprised at how quickly, Keith followed after, but they shrugged. They were not good with people and really they didn’t have any time to waste. Keith was Lance’s problem. “Alright then, We’ll show you a couple of places here, and answer some of your questions…”

 

“We should also get them phones. So that they can talk to us without anyone listening in.” Hunk mentioned, offering Allura and Coran a shy smile, that was instantly returned by Coran. 

 

“Are our phones not acceptable?” Allura pulled hers out of her light pink bag, it was thin and silver, expensive yes, but Pidge could hack it in their sleep so it would not do. 

 

Almost in unison, all three of them held up their phones. All were done in their chosen colors, with a metal lion robot etched into the back. The designs of the lions were different but it was obvious that all of them were custom made. 

 

Shiro smiled though, and even Pidge could see the signs of his little infatuation with Allura. Good, they owed him for all the teasing he did when they got with Hunk. 

 

“Pidge and Hunk made these themselves. As far as I know, they can’t be hacked and since Lance doesn’t like to talk, they get his messages instantly with a chime so we don’t miss what he wants to say.” Shiro passed his phone to Hunk with a smile. “

 

“That is extraordinary!” Coran announced, bending a bit to see the phones clearer. “It would be good to have an untraceable means of communication. Perhaps, after this is over you will consent to making us some more for Altea.” 

 

Pidge decided they liked Coran. He was knowledgeable enough to follow along but also impressed by their hard work, which Pidge appreciated. “Fine. We’ll make you some phones. We’ll also need to give you some code names.. And access to the training room and..” 

 

“Pidge.” Hunk’s warm hands settled on their shoulders, and he was smiling down at them. “One thing at a time. Lets show them around first. You’ve seen the main training room, but we have two other smaller ones, that we use for more delicate projects, we also have three labs but, two of them will be off limits, I’m sorry.”

 

Allura waved away the apology. “That is perfectly fine. I do not expect you to tell us everything immediately. Besides, we have a great deal to do before we can actually begin to work together properly.”

 

“Yes, this brave young man, needs his new arm first.” 

 

Pidge nodded. “After I get the reading from the clips on Lance’s arm, we can start building. Come on, I’ll show you how we make a prosthetic.” 

 

*********

 

Keith followed Lance back to the training room, his mind spinning. This was the same pretty man he had bumped into in the hospital hallway. The one with the smile, Keith had not been able to stop thinking about. The man, Keith had called a robot. This man was part of the reason that Allura had a chance to fix her company at some point. It wouldn’t be soon, but it was a better chance than they had before. Keith had so many questions but he had also already stuck his foot in his mouth twice today and so he just followed along, silent. 

 

When they arrived, Lance turned, and motioned Keith to stand near the control panel, before slipping his phone out and setting on the panel. He also reached into a pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a fancy smartwatch, but he hesitated before putting on next to the phone, and moving toward the center of the room. 

Keith watched as Lace stretched a few times, before he tapped one of the blue parts of his suit and gestured toward the control panel. Keith stared for just a moment before reaching out and pressing the one blue button. 

 

Immediately, the chips scattered on Lance’s arm light up, a pale purple color, three screens also light up, full of various numbers and information. Keith watched, as Lance started moving his right arm about, shifting it to various position that looked very awkward to Keith. Then Lance started moving around, doing strange things like random push ups and punching at the air. 

 

It wasn’t until she started dancing, and Keith figured it out. He wasn’t testing anything, he was actually getting information about his own arm and how it worked for the other two. Honestly, it was brilliant. That would mean that the arm would move smoother and work better in the end. 

 

One of the screens turned on, but Lance payed it no mind, continuing to move around, this time in what Keith thought was a martial arts kata, but he wasn’t entirely certain. The faces on the screen where Pidge, Allura and Shiro, and the three watched for a short time before Pidge finally spoke up. 

 

“Blue, handstand.” 

 

Immediately, Lance stood on his hands, and Keith’s mouth dropped open. He had tried for years to do a perfect handstand, had in fact learned how to front and backflip because of it, but he had never been able to stay perfectly still on just his hands. 

 

“Now, Princess, as you see, we study the appendage, in this case an arm, from as many possible angles as we can to make sure that no matter what the situation it will work as well as the real arm.” Pidge then announced another order. “Handstand pushup.” 

 

Lance scowled but slowly did as asked, immediately tipping over and landing on his face. He got back up, then grinned. 

 

Pidge grumbled at the one finger salute he set them, but shrugged. “Yeah yeah. Okay Blue, fist, point, then flat palm and stretch as far as you can.”

 

Keith didn’t understand why Lance wasn’t talking. He could, so why wasn’t he now? 

 

“Would it not be better to have Shiro being the one tested. Please do not take offense, but I do believe your… L..Blue is more flexible than Shiro is.” Keith looked up, seeing Pidge glowering at Allura. 

 

“Codenames, please, Princess.” Pidge then went back to announcing orders to Lance. After a moment they answered. “You see, Blue is more flexible than Black is, but we need to see exactly how an arm works when paired with it’s mate. Then after we have that, we will measure Black’s movements. Okay, Blue, take the clips off. Red!”

 

Keith stared for another minute before realizing they were talking to him. “Uh.. yes, Green?” 

 

Pidge nodded in approval. “First press that red button, then the orange and then the blue. Than toss Blue his watch and phone. You two can come up here and I’ll get you set up with a phone of your own.” 

 

Keith pressed all the buttons as instructed and then Pidge’s screen went black. Keith gathered the phone and watch, taking a minute to stare at the lion etched on the blue back before he crossed the room and passed them back to Lance. The watch was immediately attached with speed to Lance’s right wrist, and the phone was held firmly in his left hand. 

 

“So… um…”

 

Lance raised an eyebrow, but seemed to be willing to wait for Keith to actually say words. 

 

“I.. I really am sorry about the robot comment earlier..” He shifted, before glancing back to Lance. “I was just.. angry.” 

 

Lance finally smiled, small and nothing like the grin that was burned into Keith’s mind, but his eyes lit up and his face softened. Keith was seriously too gay for this. 

 

Lance held up a finger and typed a few things rapidly into his phone, before turning it around so that Keith could read it. 

 

**_Blue:_ **

_ It’s fine. I get it.  _

_ Let’s go get you a phone, so we don’t have to share mine to talk.  _

 

Keith wanted to ask, why Lance wouldn’t just talk to him like he had before, but his earlier slip ups kept him quiet. Lance was obviously very important to Voltron, and Allura would kill him if he offended the guy again. There wasn't much that Keith would not do for his family. But, there was also the fact that Lance was honestly the first guy to catch Keith’s attention in a long time. He wanted Lance to like him. He had no idea if he had a chance, but, he also didn’t want to ruin it just in case he did. So he smiled back, and nodded. 

 

“Right, lead the way.” 


	7. The Ashes That Remain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Galra make their final move against Altea. This act leads to sides being firmly taken, by the members of Voltron Tech.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a late update and I do apologize. I have been considering rewriting this story and fixing some of the.. flaws that it has. 
> 
> Please, I would love to know your opinions on what you would like to see stay the same and what you would like changed.

By the time Allura, Coran and Keith returned to their home, each one had a new phone. Allura and Coran both had a beautiful spaceship etched into the back of their phones, but Keith had wanted the same lion that Voltron’s crew had. Pidge had balked, but Lance had just waved a hand like it wasn’t a big deal. Allura fingered her phone. It was a metallic pink color, and worked as any other phone did, but Shiro had insisted that it was much better protection. There were no numbers but only names, colors. Hunk had explained that all they would need to do was send a message and it would be received. Each color had both a message option and a call option except for the color Blue, that one only had a message option.

Their tour had been short, mainly one standard lab, and a couple of the smaller rooms. Despite the obvious suspicion, and some noticeable censorship during some of the explanations, they had been mostly welcoming.  Still, Allura was mostly pleased with the outcome. They had allies in battle against Galra Corp, and they were strong.

Still, she was worried. Worried because Hunk had insisted that Allura go nowhere without Coran and Keith both with her. Pidge had oddly agreed. They had all also stated that since they would be working on Shiro’s arm nonstop that it would be best for them to return in a few days, to give them time to work on it without interruption. Coran had taken the suggestion as if it was an order, and refused to leave her side until they were safely inside their home.

Keith had been oddly quiet, especially after the collecting the readings for Shiro’s arm. She noticed him watching their new allies often. Keith wasn’t one for silent observation, he was more of a doer, not a thinker. But, something was keeping him in check, and Allura wondered what it was that had him so occupied.

But she waited, until they were settled in, before she turned first to Coran. “What do you think of our new allies?” Allura trusted Coran completely, and she took his word as truth, no matter what quirks he had.

“They are certainly capable..” Coran settled in his favorite chair, one hand tugging lightly on his moustache. “Although, I feel that not all of them are as convinced that this agreement is a good decision.”

“That’s fair though.” Keith spoke up, leaning a bit on the back of the couch. “I mean, it’s obvious from their set up, even what little they showed us, they don’t exactly trust anyone.”

“Correct my boy, I had the same thought.” Coran never missed an opportunity to lavish praise. “While I feel that Shiro was indeed helpful in arranging our meeting, I also feel that if it were not for…” He paused, considered then continued. “Blue, we might not have ever seen the inside of that building.”

Allura considered for a moment. Coran did make a good point, both of them did. Coran’s continued use of their chosen codenames, despite them being in their own home, made Allura consider that perhaps, they should use these few days to check on their own security.

 

*********

 

Unfortunately, they were not given the opportunity. They had been at lunch, just four days after the meeting, planning a conference to announce Altea’s closure, when all three phones chimed in unison. Each phone had the same message.

 

**_Blue:_ **

_Please, stay where you are._

_Black is on his way._

_Do_ **_not_ ** _go home._

 

The message was ominous, and Keith immediately stood but Coran yanked him right back down. Allura called for the bill before leaning close to Coran.

“Uncle?”

Coran kept one hand on Keith’s arm. He knew how his boy was, he would run off the first moment he could, and Coran was not going to lose the rest of his family. “We will remain here. All of us.” He sent Keith a firm look. “We will wait. We cannot rush in blindly, and for them to warn us, especially after requesting time to work on Shiro’s arm, means that it must indeed be quite important.”

Allura looked nervous, and Coran really did want to wrap his niece in his arms and soothe her, but, if he let go of Keith, the boy would be gone. Fortunately, they only had to wait twenty minutes before Shiro entered, and came straight for them.

He looked every inch of the strong serious man, his earlier pictures had made him out to be, but what was shocking was that he had his new arm. Coran had no idea how they had managed to create the prosthetic in such a short amount of time.

“Come on, we all should go.” Shiro’s eyes were scanning the cafe, slowly, carefully. It made Coran feel just a little bit safer, and all of a sudden he understood why it was that Shiro was sent. He would insure that Coran’s son, and niece were safe.

“What is going on?” Keith hissed, and Coran shushed him absently, eyes still fixed on the new arm that was completely covered in clothing, complete with a glove.

Shiro refused to answer any questions until they were all out of the cafe and moving quickly down the street.

“Please.. Can you not tell us what has happened?” Allura clutching the strap of her bag tightly, but her face had smoothed out into the professional mask she wore so well.

Shiro sighed, “Someone burned your house down.”

 

*********

 

Keith refused to sit down, instead he paced back and forth across the same meeting room, they had waited in before. Allura was sitting, hands curled tightly, and her eyes wet. Coran, he looked sad. Keith understood that. Coran had grown up in that house, it was full of not just things but memories, family pictures, treasures that Coran would never be able to see again. It only made Keith angrier. No one messed with his family.

“Keith, please sit down.”

He shook his head, continuing to pace. Shiro was near the door, a fierce frown on his face, but he hadn’t spoke since the chilling announcement.

Currently they were waiting. Why, Keith didn’t know. He had no idea where the other three were, but he was two seconds from bolting out the door, when it opened and Pidge and Hunk came in. Hunk looked shaken, and he was wringing his hands together. Pidge however, they looked murderous.

Coran and Allura were on their feet, but Pidge just held up a hand. “Listen, I don’t really trust you lot yet, but, this is a whole different story. None of us, will stand for this.” Pidge looked at Shiro, then up at Hunk. Both nodded, short and firm, and they straightened. “Okay here is what I know.” Pidge took two steps and crossed their arms. “Roughly, forty minutes ago, a fire was reported. Since Shiro became a fireman, I have tracked every fire that has happened. I forgot to turn that program off, after he got hurt. The address, sounded familiar so I did a little digging. When I realized it was your house, I had Lance text you, and sent Shiro to make sure you were all okay.”

Allura’s voice was soft. “I... thank you…”

Pidge waved the thanks away. “Don’t thank me. This is going too far. Anyway, while Shiro went to get you, Lance went to find out what was going on there, and Hunk and I did what we do best.” Despite the bragging words, Pidge still looked furious.

Keith could relate. He wanted to be out there, like Lance was.. “Wait.. Lance went there?”

Hunk settled his hands on Pidge’s shoulders, rubbing slightly until they deflated a bit. “Here is what we know… We couldn’t figure out exactly who they sent, not yet anyway, but it was definitely set up by Galra Corp. Pidge found a payment for $25,000 but there was no name, or note exactly what it was for, but the payment was made this morning. We’re not sure yet if they meant to kill you or scare you or what…”

“Fuck that.”

“Language!”

“I’m not fifteen anymore Shiro!” Pidge snapped. “They meant to make sure that Altea was done. If you died in the fire it would be tragic, if not then you would be busy trying to either rebuild, or investigate, and you won’t have any time for working at the company.”

Allura sunk back into a chair. “I see.. So Altea is truly lost then..”

“Not lost.. just in limbo.” The new voice was familiar in it's uniqueness. The robotic sound was monotone and caused everyone to turn toward the door. There was Lance, in jeans and almost ratty green jacket. There was the heavy smell of smoke around him and he was breathing heavily.

“Lance!” Hunk crossed the small space, but paused when a hand came up.

Lance took a minute to catch his breath, and as much as Keith wanted answers right then and there, he bit his lip to keep quiet. Yelling would get him nowhere, and that wouldn’t help Allura or Coran either.

When he finally straightened, his mouth was pressed together tightly, and he looked very serious. “I’m sorry… It’s completely gone.”

Allura sniffed, and before Keith could move, Coran was there, drawing her close. Still, Keith moved over, rubbing her back lightly as she cried into Coran’s shoulder. He was only partly paying attention to the conversation when something caught his attention. Silence.

He turned his head to look at the doorway and only Lance was left in the room. He was facing the door, giving them privacy, and Keith appreciated it.

“Uncle.. What do we do now?”

Coran shook his head, drawing Keith’s attention back to him. “I am afraid I do not know, my dear. But we will figure it out.”

Lance turned at the sound of voices, and he nodded, pulling out his phone and talking at the same time. His voice never changed, no emotion bleeding through. “It was a gas fire, someone started at the street, and poured gas all through the garden to the house.” He paused, and glanced up from the phone, and Keith froze when his eyes met Lance’s. Lance eyes, were cold, and furious, something Keith hadn’t seen before.

“I’ll find out who it was. Until then. You can stay here.” Lance turned to leave.

“We cannot endanger you like that!” Allura tore away from Coran, facing Lance with all her usual grace and poise. “I confess that I did not realize the lengths that they would go to in order to destroy the company. I do not wish for anyone to be hurt.”

Lance slowly turned around, and Keith sucked in a breath. Lance still looked cold and angry, but he also looked determined, like nothing could shake him from whatever it was he had decided. He crossed the room, standing closer to Keith and Allura than he had anyone except for Hunk so far. He leaned in, just a bit. “I know. I know better than anyone what the Galra will do to get what they want.” One hand came up, catching the edge of his high collar and pulling it down slightly, just enough so they they could all see the jagged scar that ran along his throat. Then he dropped his hand and stepped back, ignoring the looks of horror that Allura and Coran had, that Keith knew was on his own face.

“I’m not letting anyone else suffer.” Lance didn’t even look back as he left the room.


	8. I'll Tell You A Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Allura, Coran and Keith adjust to leaning exactly how far Galra Corp will go to get what they want. Pidge and Lance have a story for them to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update took longer than I had planned. But I did spend three days playing a video game that should have honestly taken me a month to finish. *shrug* Ah well. 
> 
> I am sorry for the delay. I think this chapter will answer some questions. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think.

Lance strode into the lab with purpose, phone in his hand and already typing. He paid no attention to Keith, Allura and Coran who followed him; ignored Hunk and Pidge, and barely even glanced at Shiro when he spoke his name. 

Shiro understood though, for all that the old Lance used to brag and goof around, he has always been hyper-focused when he needed to be - that just generally was whenever anyone bothered Hunk or Pidge. 

Shiro had been sixteen when he had first met Lance. The boy had been tall for his ten years but rail thin. Pidge had been tucked behind him, while Hunk nervously watched Lance chew out a much older and larger boy for picking on Pidge. Shiro had only been at this place for a day now, and he really didn’t know anyone, which was how he usually liked it, but there was something about the thin boy, who kept a tiny girl tucked behind him like she was priceless that had caught Shiro’s attention in a way that few other kids did. 

Despite the lack of trust between his team and the people of Altea, Lance had been the one to push for the alliance. That in essence meant, that he had claimed them as his - not in the same way that Hunk and Pidge, or even Shiro were, but his just the same. If he knew Lance at all, and Shiro was confident that he did, Lance was going to do whatever it took to keep them all safe. 

Lance was too busy typing to notice the looks Hunk and Pidge shared. So Shiro settled his human hand on Lance’s shoulder. He’d only gotten the new prosthetic the night before and he was still getting used to it. 

“Lance?” 

He casually shoved the corner of his phone in his mouth and turned to Pidge. Lance’s hands moved quickly, a mix of ASL and the odd language of gestures that only he and Pidge really understood. None of them knew more than a few signs in ASL and the alphabet but it did come in handy at times. Shiro had considered learning at one point, but then Pidge and Hunk had presented him with the phone and Lance got his new ‘voice’ so he had let the idea slip away. 

Pidge’s face slowly grew a frown, and it stayed, as their eyes followed Lance’s hands. Hunk was tapping away at one of the computers, and a screen appeared. "Okay the screen is connected to the server. Now, what do we do first?” 

Lance started typing away at his phone, as Keith stepped forward. Shiro liked Keith, he seemed like a decent sort if a bit harsh and hasty with his words. Shiro tended to give everyone a chance, not like Pidge and Hunk who trusted no one, or Lance who trusted even less, and he was willing to look past the hard words of earlier.. Provided they didn’t happen again. 

“What do you mean do first?” Keith asked, looking from one to the other. 

“Currently there are several things that should be done.” Pidge muttered, their tone cold. “You lot are going to need clothes, basic amenities, and a room. We’re going to have to send someone for any important files that you may have at Altea, to make sure that Galra Corp doesn’t get them first. Lance wants to look into who started the fire, Hunk keeps saying that we need food, silly boy, and if you all are going to be staying here, we need to add you to security.”

“I am happy to go and collect the files.” Coran offered. 

Lance shook his head and kept on typing, before a loud chime sounded and the screen lit up with words. 

 

**_Blue:_ **

_ Red and I will get the files.  _

_ Black can go out for clothes, and whatever else you might need.  _

_ Yellow can go cook, and Green can handle the security.  _

 

Allura frowned a little. “That does not seem fair. You are all doing so much surely we can help.” 

“Actually, I could use some help cooking?” Hunk questioned, looking confused. 

Coran smiled so wide, Shiro was pretty sure his mouth had to be hurting. “I am happy to assist you! I greatly enjoy cooking!” 

Keith winced and even Allura looked a bit hesitant. “Ah, yes… Perhaps I can assist you, Pidge?” 

Pidge opened their mouth and it snapped closed at the chime.

 

**_Blue:_ **

_ Good idea. The Princess can walk you through Altea’s systems, Green, as you wipe them clean. _

_ Maybe, work on making them some armor too? _

 

“Jesus Lance. What do you think I can do all those things at the same time?” Pidge scowled, but it turned into a grin at the finger gun he aimed at them.

It was little things like this, that helped remind Shiro that they were grown now. Seeing Pidge who while still small, was no longer the tiny girl that hid behind Lance all the time. Now they were grown, had their own identity, a relationship with a truly good man and a dedicated friend. Shiro could see it in Hunk. No longer too afraid to speak his mind, secure enough with Pidge and Lance at his side to openly express dislike. Accomplished in his talents and proud to share that with those he loved. With Lance, he wasn't that very skinny little boy anymore, going toe to toe with anyone that bullied his siblings. Now he was more shrewd, able to plan and consider. Still devoted to his family, but more rational about it. Shiro was proud of all of them. He was worried about their choice here, but he would stand by them because they had always stood by him. 

 

**_Blue:_ **

_ Of course. The day you can’t Green, is the day I say my prayers because obviously the world is ending.  _

_ Now, give me the passcard and let's get this done. _

 

Hunk chuckled and dug in a drawer, tossing Lance a thin orange card. “You’ll be careful right?” 

Lance just smiled, and motioned for Keith to follow him. 

 

*********

 

While Coran made a list for Shiro of things they would need, Pidge studied Allura. Honestly, when they were younger, Pidge wanted to grow up and be just like her. Strong and smart and knowledgable about the company. But Pidge wasn’t seeing that right now. Since Lance and Keith had left, ALlura kept glancing at the door then over at Coran. She seemed nervous and Pidge did not like it. 

“Okay what is wrong with you?” 

“Pidge! We’ve talked about this!” Hunk complained from his desk. “You can’t just blurt things out like that it’s rude!” 

“Hunk.. I love you, I really do, but she is acting weird and I want to know why.” 

“Pidge.” Shiro this time, looking stern and disappointed. Pidge hated it when he looked like that. They always felt like a child. “There are nicer ways to say things.” 

They crossed their arms with a huff. “Fine.” They cleared their throat and with one more glare at Shiro, they spoke again. “Allura, I have noticed that you seem very nervous and distracted. Would you kindly explain why that is.” They then stuck out their tongue at Shiro, which made Coran laugh. 

Allura smiled a bit herself before her expression sobered. “Well… earlier, we were discussing what it was that we should do now that our home is gone, and Lance mentioned that we could stay with you, and that he would look into things, but…” Allura tugged on the edge of her sleeve. “I mentioned that I did not wish for anyone to be harmed and..” She looked away from Pidge’s stare. “He showed us his neck and we were…” 

“We wished to know how the young man had gotten such a grievous injury.” Coran finished. 

“Okay, sit down.” Pidge ordered, their face somber and serious. Hunk was stiff at their side and Pidge had a feeling that they would both be checking in on Lance several times. Shiro looked mildly sick but then, he always did whenever it was mentioned. That was another reason why they never brought it up. “I am only going to tell you this once. Do not bring it up, do not mention it to Lance, and do not stare.” 

Allura and Coran nodded, so Pidge crossed their arms and started. 

“I met Lance when I was five. I don’t really remember how; I just know that he was there one day and never left. He stood up for me and Hunk, no matter how big or mean the other kids were, he was always there. We’re all orphans.” Pidge’s tone grew flat, almost monotone. “There were people that wanted us, occasionally, but nothing ever turned out. But, that was fine, because Hunk and I had Lance. Lance would give us parts of his dinner, or steal little things from the trash for us to work on. He told us stories and kept us safe.” Pidge roughly pulled their glasses off, pretending to wipe them clean. 

“When we were in high school, he worked part time at the docks so that Hunk could take cooking classes. He learned to knit from the meanest supervisor we had, just so that he could make us scarves and hats. We didn’t realize just how far he’d go for us.” 

Hunk settled his hands on Pidge’s shoulders and they took a second to be grateful for their big softie. Pidge took a sharp breath and kept going. “When Lance turned eighteen, he worked nights at a diner, and mornings at a sorting plant, while he took linguistics classes. He wanted to be a translator. He helped me and Hunk run away from the orphanage, and let us stay with him.” 

Shiro stepped forward, patting Pidge’s head, and looping an arm around Hunk’s shoulder. 

Pidge slowly relaxed their hands, unsure when they had curled them into fists. “Then, our last year of high school, there was a science competition. Hunk and I had entered, and yes, I did skip a grade. Our invention won, it was a little flying robot. What we didn’t know was that Galra Corp had someone in the audience scouting for new talent. We didn’t know that they had asked our teacher for our family, who we had stated was our brother… Lance.” 

Pidge bit their lip. They didn’t really want to continue, but Allura and Coran did need to know exactly what they would be dealing with. If they wanted to rebuild their company, then they had to be ready for anything. 

Shiro spoke up before Pidge could continue. “They sent Haggar to make a deal with Lance. He declined, because the one thing Hunk and Pidge have wanted since they were kids was to own their own technology company. Haggar… did not take the decision well. Lance didn’t tell us all the details, we honestly don’t know exactly what was said, but the end result was Haggar and a couple of her goons cornering him outside of his classes.” 

“I hacked the school cameras.” Pidge stated bluntly. “There were two men, holding him by the arms and a third was on the ground. She..” Pidge took a deep breath. “She stabbed him in the throat with a knife, leaned in, said something, and then stabbed him again.” Pidge ignored the sharp gasp and barrelled ahead. “Lance ended up in the hospital, and his vocal cords were destroyed. There was also some tendon damage.” Pidge raised their head to gauge Allura and Coran’s reactions. 

Coran looked stricken and Allura had tears running elegantly down her face. Pidge honestly couldn’t believe anyone could cry that prettily. 

“The first thing he did when he recovered was sue Haggar with the video as his proof. Rather can face a court, they offered him five million dollars. Lance took it, and he gave it all to us… for this.” One hand came up gesturing around the lab. “I erased any trace of us, we three changed our names. Shiro helped us invest some of the money, and so here we are. Lance’s money, helped us fund our original projects, and now we are starting to gather a reputation. We’ve made armor for the army, and are still finishing some new shields, but that is not what we want. We want to create new things. Like Lance’s ‘voice,’ if you will. It’s a small set of chips carefully placed, so that he can speak. But he hates how it’s sounds so he doesn’t like to use it. As long as his watch or phone are nearby it will work, otherwise, it’s like it isn’t even there.” 

Allura wiped at her eyes, and sniffed. “Poor Lance… I had no idea…”

“That’s how he prefers it. He doesn’t want people to know. All he wants is for Hunk and Pidge to live their dream, because he can’t have his now. That’s why he’s willing to help you, because you two can help them more than he can. But… he’s also doing this for you. Because, now..” Shiro paused. 

“You’re one of us.” Hunk stated, the first words he’d said through the whole story. “Once we made the offer for an alliance you became one of us, and Lance will do anything for us. So, he will get whatever you wanted from your offices. Run interference, bring drinks or snacks…”

“He’ll bring movies to a hospital room, offer you a job, stay up when you have a nightmare…” Shiro added, looking down at the floor.

“Ruffle your hair, and call you stupid names.” Pidge finished, arms crossed. 

“What do you do for him then?” Coran asked. “How do we repay him?” 

For a long moment there was silence. Then Pidge once again spoke up. “We do what he asks, when he asks. Because he is doing it for us. We watch his dorky movies, and go with him to the park; we listen to his terrible music, even if we have something else to do. We make sure he knows that he is an important part of the team, because he is. I don't know how you can repay him, but you’ll figure something out.” 

“I had no idea that you all have been through so much… It makes a great deal more sense now that you do not wish to merge with anyone. You all have worked hard for your company…” Allura sighed. “Perhaps….” She looked thoughtful, and Pidge couldn’t help but wonder what about. “I will have to discuss a few things when Keith returns.” 

“I don’t really like him.” 

Hunk chuckled. “That’s okay, Pidge.. You don’t really like anyone.” 

 

*********

 

Keith wasn’t exactly sure why Lance had chosen him to collect the things from Altra Industries, but he wasn’t going to complain. Allura’s mice were there, Coran’s books, and even Keith kept a couple of things in his little office that he wanted to collect. The papers and all were important, Keith wasn’t arguing that, but those little things would be nice to have now that they basically had nothing. Plus, Allura would love to have her mice. She had raised and trained them all, and sometimes Keith was convinced that she could talk to them. 

Keith shifted his attention to Lance, who was walking in front of him. He still smelled slightly of smoke, and Keith wanted to ask him what he had seen, why he had gone, and honestly, several other things too. But then he noticed, they weren’t heading toward the door. 

“Hey, where are we going?” 

Keith watched as Lance smoothly tapped a few things on his watch, before Keith’s phone chimed. He honestly wasn’t used to even using his phone at all, and having to look at it just to talk with Lance was fairly frustrating. Still, he took the phone out, taking a moment to appreciate the lion etched into the back, before he opened the message. 

 

**_Blue:_ **

_ Come on Red, you don’t think we only have one exit do you? _

_ If we ever have to get out unnoticed, we use this way. _

 

Lance paused in front of a seemly blank wall, and pressed the card to it. The wall slid to the left, showing a short staircase and a new hallway. 

“Okay.. that is actually pretty cool.” Keith found himself studying the small hall, and taking careful notes about how far they went, and exactly where Lance would use the little card. They passed through another hidden door and ended up in an alley three buildings away. 

From there, Lance led Keith on a winding path through the city, alleys and side streets, dark corners and lonely roads. It was both interesting and fun at the same time, sneaking around like this. 

So by the time they had reached Altea, and Keith had snuck them both in through a hole in the outer fence that he started talking. “So.. I know you don’t like me much, but can I ask you a few things?” 

Lance paused, one hand reaching for the door, his whole head turning to stare at Keith. Keith honestly wasn’t sure what to make of that expression. Did Lance think Keith wouldn’t know? It was obvious that Pidge and Hunk were only tolerating him due to his earlier comments, so why would Lance, who had been the actual target of those words, not expect Keith to realize that. 

Lance shifted, one hand moving toward his watch, before he paused, mouth pressing tightly together, a frown growing on his face. His hand fell back to his side, as he turned to face Keith. The frown grew a bit, then Lance shook his head. 

“You think I don’t like you?” The tone was flat as it always was, the mechanical sound still jarring even after hearing it several times. But Lance also titled his head, one eye brow raising up. He looked confused. 

“Well… yeah..” Keith shifted, then moved ahead, punching in a code and opening the door. “I haven’t been very nice to you.. And you haven’t really talked to me much…” 

Keith turned just in time to see Lance’s hand come up and rub across his face before he sighed. As the door closed behind them, Lance shifted, keeping space between them. 

“If I could, I would never talk at all. That has nothing to do with me liking you. I don’t talk to anyone unless I have to.” Lance looked around at the large entryway, eyes moving from one part to another, from shadow to shadow. “I like you fine, Red, ask what you want.” 

Keith felt like a complete jerk. He’d seen Lance’s throat, saw the thick scars that were stark and white against his tanned skin. So he kept his silence, they shouldn’t be talking now anyway. They would get the papers, the mice, and the other things and Keith would ask them on the way back. 

So Keith ignored the questioning looks Lance kept shooting him, as they found Coran’s books, a picture of all of them with Alfor, Keith’s small collection of knives and his motorcycle helmet. He ignored the distance that was always between them as they hunted down all four mice and cleared out all the important files. But when they had left, slipping out the same way they had entered, Keith finally asked his first question. 

“How bad was the fire.. Really?” 

Lance actually jumped a little, looking up from the small cage they had coaxed the mice into. He blinked, looked at the books in one hand, and the cage in his other and sighed. 

“Bad.. Most was just ash and char. Fireplace made it though.” 

Keith stopped, shoving his helmet on his head, flipping the visor up and holding out his hands for the books. The papers were in a backpack and Keith planned on shoving the books in there too and carrying the mice himself so Lance could talk in whatever way he preferred. “I’ll put them in bag, then you don’t have to talk.” 

Lance stared for a long minute, then shook his head. “It’s fine, but… thanks for the offer.” Lance’s smile was small.

Keith was immediately thankful for the helmet covering most of his face. Oh, he was aware he likely looked ridiculous, but there was no chance of Lance seeing how that small smile made Keith blush this way. Not the time, gay thoughts. Not. The. Time.

So Keith pulled the helmet off, taking a second to smooth his hair before they started walking again. Really, Keith had a lot of questions for Lance, especially now that he was willing to talk, but all he could really think of was one. 

“Will you… tell me what happened?” 

Lance immediately stared down at the mice. He was quiet for a long while and just as Keith was about to apologize, Lance started talking. 

“Haggar did it. They were after Hunk and Pidge, trying to.. Recruit them. They weren’t eighteen yet, and they had me listed as their brother. I told Haggar no, and she did not like my answer. I was jumped after one of my classes. She had three goons beat the crap out of me, before she asked me again to agree that Pidge and Hunk would work for Galra Corp. I told her no again. She took this knife..and stabbed me in the neck. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t yell.” His ‘voice’ never wavered, it stayed the same with no emotion, just a monotone of unnatural sound. “Then she leaned in close, so close I could feel her hair on my cheek. She told me that she would make sure I would never tell anyone no again and stabbed me a second time, before they dropped me to the ground and left.” 

Keith had actually never met Haggar, and he was thankful for it now. Lotor was a childish bully, entitled and snobbish, but he wasn’t dangerous, not like that. What Haggar did was, beyond cruel. Not to mention Keith felt like a complete ass now. His earlier comment about them picking the winning side seemed like a callus joke now. 

“I’m sorry…” 

To Keith’s shock, Lance shrugged. 

“It happened and it’s done. When I got better, I sued. Not the company, I’m not stupid, but Haggar herself. Pidge hacked the school cameras and I had a video of the attack. The company paid me five million to basically shut up and go away. So I did. We used it to make Voltron Technologies. I can’t have my dream, but I won’t let anyone take away Hunk and Pidge’s.” Lance raised his head, meeting Keith’s eyes. 

They were brilliant. His expression was somber, but his eyes were bright, and full of emotions. Not the  _ time _ , gay thoughts! Keith shook his head to clear it, and tried to think of something to say, anything that would make Lance understand that Keith got it. 

“I feel the same about Coran and Allura…” 

Lance bit at his bottom lip, looking at Keith with an expression that Keith hadn’t seen before. Keith was not that great at reading expressions, but he had noticed that Lance’s ‘voice’ had no inflection, no tone difference, no emotion. All of that was in Lance’s gestures, his face, his eyes. Keith was going to have to learn how to read Lance. 

Then Lance shocked him to the core. He adjusted his hold on the books, and carefully set the cage on top of them. Then he extended his arm, his hand in a fist at the end. It was the first time Keith had seen Lance actually touch anyone, except for that brief moment where he leaned against Hunk.  Keith wasted no time in lightly bumping Lance’s fist with his own. Honestly, Keith had always thought fist-bumps were rather stupid, but he wasn’t going to turn down the gesture for what it was. Acceptance. 

“For our families, then.” Lance dropped his hand immediately after, catching a hold of the cage once more. 

“For our families.”


End file.
